Obituary
John G. Grenz
John G. "Custer" Grenz, 83, Napoleon, died
August. 3, 2000 in Wishek hospital. Services will be
held at 11am. Monday at Salem United Methodist Church,
Napoleon, with the Rev. Ronn Wilke officiating. Burial will be
in Napoleon Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 2-8 P.M. Saturday
and 1-8 P.M. Sunday at Dahlstrom Funeral Home, Napoleon, and
will continue t the church one hour before services.
Custer was born May 29, 1917, on the family
farm in Campbell county, near Artas, SD, the son of Gottlieb
and Christina (Wentz) Grenz. Custer was 9 yrs. old when the
family moved to Napoleon, where he grew up. Custer
attended and graduated from Napoleon High School and went on
to attend Valley City State Teachers College, graduating in
1941.
Custer married Irene Wittmier on July 26,
1942, at Napoleon. They purchased and moved to a
homestead farm in the Streeter Flat area in 1943. In
1954, they moved to Napoleon, where they operated a
restaurant, Irene's Cafe, and he became known as a "sidewalk"
farmer. Custer continued to farm until he retired at the
age of 65. Since 1978 they have made their winter home
in Mesa, AZ.
Custer was active in city affairs serving on
the Napoleon City Council for several yrs. He was
selected as a Napoleon High School Alumni of the Year
recipient in 1996.
He wrote articles for the Napoleon Homestead
under the byline "Findings" by John G. Custer Grenz.
He was an avid antique collector over the
years attending most auctions in the tri-state area. He
had a special interest in threshing machines and his
collection graced the hills three miles east of Napoleon for
many years, and they were featured in the March 1986 issue of
National Geographic Magazine and Dakota Day Trips.
Custer still owned the first tractor that he purchased, which
was a 1943 model John Deere "B".
He was an avid sports athlete and fan,
having participated in both basketball and track. He was
proud of the fact that his son and grandson also played
basketball for Napoleon High School.
Survivors include his wife, Irene Grenz,
Napoleon; two sons Andon daughter-in-law, Harley and Gloria
Grenz, Napoleon, and Steve Grenz, Cheyenne, WY; one daughter
and son-in-law, Karen and James Strand, Bismarck; nine
grandchildren, Mike Grenz, Candice Nelson, Cindy Steiner,
Kelly Grenz, Ashley Grenz, Kayla Grenz, Ryan and Krista Strand
and Jessica McLella; three great-grandchildren, Christopher,
Cody Grenz; one brother and sister-in-law Willie
and Lorene Grenz, Mesa; two sister-in-laws, Evelyn Grenz,
Lehr, and Marie Grenz, St. Paul, MN; Two brothers-in-law,
Harley Kiesz, Lodi, CA, and Erv Meyer, Denver, CO.
He was preceded in death by one son, Gene
Grenz, in 1962; his parents; two brothers, Eugene and Albert;
and three sisters, Ida Kiesz, Christine Hoen and Elsie Meyer.
Notes: Acquired Diabetes
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